South Africa: Less Sex, More Drink, Violence Among Pupils

Results from the second National Youth Risk Behavior Survey released Wednesday raise questions about the efficacy of government programs aimed at reducing risky behaviors among South African youth.

Advertisement

The survey included self-reported behavior of 10,270 students in grades 8-11 from 23 schools in each of the nine provinces in 2008. It found slightly fewer children were sexually active (38 percent) than in 2002 (41 percent). Among those who were sexually active, there was a significant drop in the proportion who reported more than one partner in the previous three months -- 52 percent in 2008 vs. 70 percent in 2002. However, the proportion who became pregnant or got someone pregnant during that period increased from 16 percent in 2002 to 19 percent in 2008. Condom use increased from 29 percent to 31 percent between 2002 and 2008, though researchers noted this change was not statistically significant.

"Part of the problem is that while there has been a lot of money put into promoting safer sex, people on the ground have not been trained to keep up with changes in health education," said Professor Priscilla Reddy, head of the Medical Research Council's Health Promotion Research and Development Unit and the study's principal investigator.

Reddy noted that many intervention programs are not based on sound science. More research is needed to understand what drives risky behavior among youths, and this should then be used to develop more effective prevention programs, she said.

The survey also found nearly a third (29 percent) of students reported binge drinking in the past month, while 15 percent said they carried weapons and 19 percent said they had belonged to gangs during the past six months.

The Body is a service of Remedy Health Media, LLC, 750 3rd Avenue, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10017. The Body and its logos are trademarks of Remedy Health Media, LLC, and its subsidiaries, which owns the copyright of The Body's homepage, topic pages, page designs and HTML code. General Disclaimer: The Body is designed for educational purposes only and is not engaged in rendering medical advice or professional services. The information provided through The Body should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or a disease. It is not a substitute for professional care. If you have or suspect you may have a health problem, consult your health care provider.